(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a reclining apparatus for a rear seat of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a reclining apparatus for a rear seat of a vehicle that allows a reclining movement of the rear seat back.
(b) Background Art
FIG. 1 shows a conventional rear seat 1 in an upright (FIG. 1, top) and folded (FIG. 1, bottom) position. Generally, conventional rear seats 1 of common cars may be folded (e.g., seat back 1a may pivot forward so that it contacts seat cushion 1b as shown in FIG. 1, bottom), but do not have the ability to be reclined. For example, the angle of seat back 1a on a conventional seat back 1 may not be adjusted. Unfortunately, this design defect creates significant discomfort for passengers riding in the rear seat for a long time.
On a conventional rear seat 1, a striker (not shown) is disposed at the top of the seat back 1a and a latch (not shown) is disposed on a car body panel 2 (rear package tray panel) behind the seat back 1a, so the seat back 1a has a locking mechanism created by the combination of the striker and the latch. Further, a hinge bracket 4 is fixed to a car body panel 3 of the under floor of a vehicle and the lower portion of the seat back 1a is pivotally coupled to the hinge bracket 4. Therefore, when the striker is unlocked from the latch, the seat back 1a is allowed to pivot about the coupling point with the hinge bracket 4, thus a folding movement is allowed.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the description provided above is merely for aiding in understanding the background of the present invention, and should not be construed as admitted prior art.